A Message To Earth
by JD11
Summary: A large team of Humans were sent to explore a place named Atlantis. When they got there, they encountered a race known as the Wraith- creatures that killed one of the most powerful beings ever. That was thirteen years ago...and the Wraith are winning...


Author's Note: I don't know where I came up with this. I really don't. It just sort of… came out. I just sort of went for it. But, please read and review. I think it turned out pretty well.

Summary: A large team of scientists and military personal were sent to explore a place they named Atlantis. When they got there, they encountered a race known as the Wraith- creatures that destroyed one of the most powerful beings ever. That was thirteen years ago... and the Wraith are winning…

Rating: PG

Genre: Angst

**_A Message To Earth_**

"It's been… thirteen years since we 'gated here to Atlantis," Major Sheppard's voice started slowly, the words but a mere whisper. "But there was something we didn't expect… the Wraith. They killed the Ancients long ago. When we came, we awakened them… now they want us.

"They suck the life right out of you; they don't die. It doesn't matter what you hit them with, they just keep coming back. Nothing can stop them… nothing can survive them. There's nothing we can do against them."

He stopped talking for a moment, hushed whispers all around him. Feet gently brushing the floor as they scurried away. Weapons were primed; even Sheppard's voice grew somewhat faster.

"We have… we had six colonies on neighboring worlds… worlds that once had an Ancient presence. They're all destroyed… or at least cut off. We're dead in the water at Atlantis, nothing's working. Power's extremely low, nothing's working…

"Dr. Weir died two years ago. The Wraith got her; I've been in charge since." He paused, his breathing hard and nervous. "There are… only seven of us are left. My team, Dr. McKay, Lieutenant Ford, and an alien named Teyla, has survived the longest. McKay died three weeks ago when the Wraith took Atlantis- he secured most of the security programs. Without him, we'd all be dead now. And Ford… he died four days ago in one of their worse attacks- most of the remaining died then, too.

"Everyone else has been taken by the Wraith; their life energy sucked right out of them." He paused again, his breath caught. "Our power's really low. Almost no systems work. We're using the last of our power to send Earth this message…

"We failed; we tried to survive, to help these people out here get rid of the Wraith. We only made it worse. We found Ancient tech, but there's no way to… to get it all to Earth. There's no way to get us back there. Just this message…

"Don't come after us. After we open the 'gate to send this through, everything will shut down. Life support, shields, everything. It might be enough to kill them. You won't survive if you come through… you won't be able to get back. You'll be hunted down by the Wraith and killed… there's no stopping them…

"We wish Earth all the best… but don't come out here. Earth will be safe then; just don't-

"Teyla! Teyla-!"

General O'Neill flinched at the sound of some sort of weapons' fire, followed shortly after by the sound of a P-90. He looked away from the tape player for a moment, collecting himself as someone hit the stop button.

Atlantis was overrun; these Wraith creatures had killed all their people. Had destroyed the little hope they had left to find more about their ancestors.

At least, as it had been those thirteen years ago, there was no need for the technology to save Earth from impending Gou'ald attack. Just to have it to advance Earth and others.

They had tried… they failed. They failed against an impossible enemy they weren't prepared to defeat… but they survived a long time, that's the closest thing they had to a miracle out there. The closest thing they could have gotten as a success.

But now they're dead… all of them. If not from the Wraith, then from life support failing… or perhaps the self-destruct, something he would assume they had activated. It's what he would have done… it's what anyone would have done… if they could still do so.

Jack looked up at the President, then around the table at the other officers, other suits and important people he could care less about. They all realized the same thing he did: another day, just one more, and five hundred people would have fallen prey to these creatures. Or, if Atlantis had held out another day, five hundred people would have come to their rescue… with a way home.

He sighed; that mission would be scrubbed. Both Daniel and Sam would be knocked off that mission. They had hoped to find Atlantis swarming with people and life; excitement of new arrivals and a way home. Perhaps children; families made and lives entwined.

Instead they found a recorder at the base of the Stargate telling this tale… telling a tale no one wanted to hear. Now, at least, Jack could truthfully tell the families, the friends, and the public what these people died for… how these brave people fought and died. Just four years before, he couldn't have.

He rose slowly, announcing to the rest that he would prepare a public statement and inform teams that the Atlantis mission was scrubbed. He would write letters to send to families; letters he knew personally didn't do any justice to the person they're about. He would tell far over a hundred parents and spouses and friends that these people died for a cause…

That they didn't fail…

**_/-/-/-/-The End/-/-/-/-_**

Well… I really don't know where that came from. It was kind of fun though. And it's kind of a crossover… hey, I don't think anyone's ever done a crossover in a short story. That's got to be a first. And it wasn't even planned. Go me!

Please R/R and tell me what you think of my first Atlantis piece. Hey, it might have been morbid, but it was fun. Admit it, you loved it.

Thanks for reading! Love ya all!


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